The Anglo-Saxons

Anglo Saxon Period

In 449, three groups invaded Britain

Angles

Saxons

Jutes

Anglo-Saxons•Drove the natives from the eastern, central, and southern areas of the island

•Became known as “Angles Land” or England

•Germanic language developed into “Angle-ish” or English

Anglo Saxon Period• Anglo Saxons

– Originally started out with several tribal units organized by a king.

– Witan= council of elders who would choose the king for each tribal unit

– Tribal differences ceases, kingdoms intertwined until there were 7 tribes left

– 1. Essex– 2. Wessex– 3. Sussex– 4. North Umbria– 5. Mercia & the Midlands– 6. East Anglia– 7. Kent

Anglo-Saxon Culture

• Belief in fate (Wyrd)• Accumulated treasures amount to success• Fame and fortune zealously sought after• Loyalty to one’s leader crucial• Importance of pagan, Germanic, and

Christian ideals to people whose lives were often hard and uncertain

Anglo-Saxon Culture

• Fierce, hardy life of warrior and seamen

• Strength, courage, leadership abilities appreciated

• Boisterous yet elaborately ritualized customs of the mead-hall

• Expected the hero to boast

Anglo-Saxon Ideals Codes of Conduct

• Good defeats evil• Wergild--restitution for murder or expect

revenge from victim’s relatives• Boasts must be backed with actions.• Fate is in control• Fair fights are the only honorable fights

Anglo Saxons & Mead Hall

• All {social} events began and ended at Mead Hall– Mead: Fermented beverages made

from honey (Think of beer made from honey)

• The hall was built by the local lord or king for the entertainment of the Thanes– Thanes: warriors and soldiers loyal to

the local lord or king

Anglo Saxons & Mead Hall

• Feasting Hall• Great Hall of the King• Safest Place in the Kingdom• Appearance

– Rectangular– Pointed roof– Middle trench on the inside for fires– Two long, low tables on each side of the

trench– Supported by rows of columns

Elements of Anglo-Saxon Poetry• Chant-like effect of the four-beat line• Alliteration (“Then the grim man in green gathers

his strength”)• Caesura-pause or break in a line of poetry

(“Oft to the wanderer weary of exile”)• Kenning-metaphorical phrase used instead of a

name (“battle-blade” and “ring-giver”)• Epithet-description name to characterize

something (“keen-edge sword”)• Hyperbole-exaggeration

Anglo-Saxon Hero

• Strong• Courageous• Loyal • Desires fame• Generous

The Epic Hero

• Predestined heroism• Mysterious origin• Vulnerability• Rite of passage• Embodies cultural ideals

The Epic Hero

• Actions consist of responses to catastrophic situations in which the supernatural often intervenes.

• Code of conduct forces him to challenge any threat to society

• Destiny discovered through a series of episodes punctuated by violent incidents interspersed with idyllic descriptions.

Epic Poem• Long narrative poem that recounts the

adventures of a hero.• Elevated language• Does not sermonize• Invokes a muse• Begins in media res• Mysterious origin, super powers,

vulnerability, rite of passage

The Characteristics of an Epic

• 1.) The hero is a figure of great national or even cosmic importance, and represents a culture’s  heroic ideal

• 2.) The setting of the poem is ample in scale, and may be worldwide, or even larger.

• 3.) The action involves superhuman deeds in battle.

• 4.) In these great actions, the gods and other supernatural beings take an interest or an active part.

• 5.)An epic poem is a ceremonial performance and is narrated in a ceremonial style which is deliberately distanced from ordinary speech and proportioned to the grandeur and formality of the heroic subject matter and the epic architecture.

Characteristics Cont.

• 4.) In these great actions, the gods and other supernatural beings take an interest or an active part.

• 5.)An epic poem is a ceremonial performance and is narrated in a ceremonial style which is deliberately distanced from ordinary speech and proportioned to the grandeur and formality of the heroic subject matter and the epic architecture.

The Epic Conventions

• 1.)  The narrator begins by stating his argument, or theme, invokes a muse or guiding spirit to inspire him in his great undertaking, then address to the muse the epic question, the answer is then the results of the epic hero’s answering of the call.

Epic Conventions Cont.

• 2.)  The narrative starts  in medias res i.e., "in the midst of things," at a critical point in the action.

• 3.)  There are catalogs of some of the principle characters, introduced in formal detail.